The Meaning of Blue
by paperchickadees
Summary: Maybe he was overreacting. Maybe he was just paranoid. The world was safe and his enemies nowhere to be found, so everything was fine - however, Chase can't help but feel that something is amiss within the cold metal walls of STORM and it's occupants, something he's not yet discovered about Monsunos, and, more importantly, something not being said about who he is himself...
1. Amiss

**The Meaning of Blue**

* * *

 ** _Please read._**

 _I would like to begin by saying that this fic may not entirely make sense at some parts. I started this as a writing exercise in order to explore character, and as a self-reflection sort of thing and, well...it developed from there. However, I would like to continue on with this as much as possible, although if anyone has suggestions, they would be welcome!_

* * *

For once, it was silent. No noise came from the Common room or bedrooms of Core-Tech – not that they were there, except for one, and he was the one that you wouldn't expect to be alone. Chase stared up at his ceiling, feeling oddly sick. He should have just gone home – he promised Jinja that he would still be here after the social gathering, as it had been labelled, but now he wished he hadn't. Chase hadn't gone – he wanted to but…

Oh, they hadn't said it out loud, but there was the way they had idly mentioned "I don't think you'd like it" or averted their eyes and said "You have to be really formal" or "They don't tolerate rowdiness" or "Well, we don't want the place to burn down" made him feel as if they were discouraging him from going. He bit his lip, still feeling a stab in the gut as he remember how relieved Jon and his dad had looked when he said he wasn't going.

That had hurt.

Chase knew he could be a bit much. He knew he was too loud, too outgoing, to obnoxious and overzealous and _destructive_ – he swallowed harshly and turned over roughly, burying his face into his pillow and rubbing away sudden angry tears.

…was he really that destructive?

Did they really thing he was going to end up destroying everything there?

Chase hoped not. He didn't _like_ being violent, or rough, or loud – but it seemed everyone thought that way. The only times he had ever been destructive were times where it was necessary, or when he began to get carried away with a battle, but he'd learned from then; in fact he hadn't accidentally destroyed anything in two months! He'd been so careful, and yet he was treated like a bomb ready to explode! He drew in a deep breath and sat up.

There was no use in sitting here moping and making himself miserable. But as he went to decide what to do, his mind drew a blank. What was there to do? The only things he'd ever done was battling, and honestly, even the thought of battling made him feel queasy. He didn't really have any talents, not like the others, and he'd given up on all his hobby's years ago, before he had gone on that long journey that brought him here…

Chase let out a strangled noise of frustration and threw himself out of bed, stalking out of his darkened room and into the Common room that he and the rest of his team shared, hoping that leaving his room would help relieve his heavy thoughts.

It didn't.

He walked aimlessly around the circular room, barely paying attention to the white walls that hid cold, relentless steel beneath them, or the almost too bright light, or the couches that were obnoxiously colourful. He passed his friends rooms, each of them filled with things that each individual loved or liked enough to keep – posters, knick knacks, books, plants, even a wind chime – all in stark contrast to his own bare walls.

Chase had been encouraged to decorate how he liked, but there was nothing he liked. Nothing he felt represented who he was, or his hobbies or…anything, really. He had nothing. It had taken him barely three days here to realize that – to realize that without his friends there to shine and give him the fake look of a person, he really wasn't much of a person and more of a blank shell.

He wondered if they noticed. He wondered if they really cared. Maybe just being good at battling was good enough for them – it was helpful, and he really knew nothing else, so what else would they expect from him?  
Slowly making his way to the couch, Chase lowered himself onto it, feeling numb inside. The room was eerily silent. He couldn't hear any wind, or footsteps, or any noises at all. It reminded him of the days before his adventure, when his father rarely came home and Chase was left to just sit around at home, slowly falling into a depression and becoming disinterested in everything he loved.

 _Did I really play basketball, once?_ He thought hollowly _. I'm sure I did – I broke my leg once while playing. And I did drama too – I wonder how Maria's doing without me there to be her acting partner? – and oh god how I loved it_. It was hard to remember back that far, to what he had enjoyed, but there was a gap in him that ached for that break in monotony. He wanted it all back, but that old life was gone now, and replaced by battles, violence, missions, constant exhaustion and never ending metal all around him.

Worst of all, he was beginning to be discouraged from ever doing anything here either.

He was deterred from going to a social gathering, from going to see his mother at the monastery, from going out to the city, from doing anything. Jon didn't tell the rest of his team this. Did they think he was too dangerous to be able to go places without hurting people? Did they really think he was a monster or something?

A sick feeling arose in him and he pushed that thought away, hugging a pillow tightly and desperately trying to think of something, anything, else. His mind wandered to Strike Squad, remembering how far they had come with them. It had been awkward and rocky, befriending Strike Squad, but they were all beginning to get along well, and it had been surprising to get to know each member of the Strike Squad as individuals rather than the single unit they had been in his mind.

They were all such varied people witch such different interests and yet they functioned so well together. Bravo had a love of the sea and was a talented surfer, although he did it for entertainment rather than sport. He collected seashells and crafted pendants or journals from them, and owned a small turtle named Peg, which Chase had had the pleasure of meeting a few weeks back.

Kilo loved animal and plant life, and his room was cluttered with small plants in pots and hanging from the ceiling, a few animal figurines placed cheerfully in the pots with them. He was meticulous with his plant keeping and each of his plants had names, such as Susan, his singular tulip. His bed contained three animal plush toys – a cow named Cheery, a bear named Clifford and a duck called Grape, and if anyone laid a harmful finger on them then you could be sure that he would toss you from the window.

Tango was a mixed sort – she loved everything, even if she wasn't particularly good at it. She didn't care if she was terrible at it though, judging by the rather muddy looking canvases on the walls and sloppily made clay figures, or wonkily made stuffed toys whose patterns were made from scraps of old clothing, or rather cluttered looking scrapbooks. She loved everything she had created, and was so proud of them that they may have been masterpieces – and Chase believed they were.

X-Ray was just as nerdy as he appeared, although it was less of video games (although Bren was attempting to fix that) and more of dinosaurs. X-Ray knew everything there was to know about the large, and apparently loveable, reptiles, and could talk for hours about the prehistoric beasts if he was allowed. He owned several cartoony plushies of t-rex's and raptors and plesiosaurs and liopleurodon's – Chase honestly couldn't tell the difference – and his walls were decorated in every sort of reptilian poster available.

Alpha – here Chase's cheeks heated up slightly – was a bit of a mystery in the fact that he kept to himself as much as he could. He never answered questions about himself, never talked about what he liked or his goals or his hobbies or interests. Chase only knew a few things about him – he had been specially groomed by Charlemagne, was really good at painting and had a strong love of dogs. Chase was always curious about Alpha, and he noticed how often the red head had to cover his mouth when he smiled or laughed to hide it, or would stop talking after a good thirty seconds and look away uncomfortably, or always looked so tired and bitter when he thought no one was looking…it made Chase so sad to see it.

Maybe Alpha knew how he felt, in some ways, about feeling like the shell of a person – but at the same time, Alpha would never talk to him so openly, and Chase knew that no matter what, Jon wouldn't keep Alpha or any of Strike Squad contained, or hint that they were too dangerous and –

Back to square one. Chase groaned into his pillow. This was stupid, and he knew it. He shouldn't be this goddamn miserable – he wasn't running for his life any more, he wasn't starving, he wasn't watching his friends suffer – but the emptiness was to vast to ignore. Back when he was running and searching, he had a sense of purpose; he had something to do, something to protect, something to work towards. Now, all he had was this stupid pillow, crying and a feeling that he wasn't really there. A feeling that it had all been for nothing and he was still being trapped by everything.

Maybe he just needed a snack to fill that empty hole.

He hoisted himself from the couch, fully prepared to just spend the rest of the night in the kitchens and most of the morning too, when he looked up at the doorway and almost jumped out of his skin.

Alpha stared at him awkwardly, dressed in loose pyjamas with faded dogs on them, standing in the doorway to the common room as if he wasn't quite sure how he got there. They stared at each other for a few moments before Chase found his voice.

"I – I – what are you doing here?" Chase stammered, and hastily continued as Alpha raised an eyebrow. "Not that I'm not happy to see you but – but – weren't you going to that social gathering thing?"

"Obviously not," he replied with ease, making Chase feel even stupider than he already felt. "I've been to too many to want to go to this one, and I was stopping by to see if I left my jumper in here when I saw – well – " he gestured to the couch and the pillow, and Chase averted his eyes.

"Yeah…" he trailed off uncomfortably. "I was – uh – yeah…"

They stood in silence for a few moments, and just when Chase didn't think he could bear it any longer, Alpha began talking again.

"So…why aren't you at the gathering?" he ventured, and Chase's deflated.  
"They didn't want me there," he said bitterly, and a look of surprise crossed Alpha's face. "I dunno, thy kept hinting that they didn't need rowdiness and that I wouldn't like it and I got the hint."

"That's…strange," Alpha frowned, giving Chase a considerate look before shrugging and making his way into the Common room, flopping down onto the couch and getting comfortable. "Sit down – there's no point in us both going off and being lonely."

Chase slowly lowered himself back into his position, hardly daring to believe it. He suddenly wasn't alone, and now that he finally had company, he didn't know what to say. Instead, he decided to continue their previous conversation.

"So…how is me not being invited strange?" he asked quietly, and Alpha frowned again. "I mean, I get it – I'm a destructive loudmouth –"

"But that's the thing – you're not," Alpha cut in, and Chase looked stunned. "Really, you're one of the least destructive people I know. All those incidents were accidents and your whole team was involved, and it's not right to single just you out." The red head shrugged, looking away. "You're not even _loud_ , you're just…overenthusiastic and helpful, and that's not a bad thing."

Chase swallowed and looked away. Hearing that should have made himself better – and it did, in a way – but it didn't change the fact that his own friends seemed to think he was too much to handle. Maybe he was too much to handle.

"I suppose," he mumbled, and hurriedly went on to change the subject. "You said you left your jumper here? What does it look like, maybe I have it?"

Alpha gave him a _look_ but went along with the subject change, if grudgingly. The conversation from there went on rather awkwardly from there, with Alpha clutching his found jumper and Chase accidentally muffling his words into his pillow, but it wasn't entirely unpleasant, despite the fact he could feel himself getting sleepy. It was only when Alpha mentioned something rather odd that Chase woke up fully, paying rapt attention to the other teen.

" – I heard the Commandant talking about these old experiments a good decade ago that STORM used to do, which was weird for him to be bringing up suddenly but it was pretty significant. I mean, it was the first time a Commandant had been arrested for it – "

"But STORM still experiments," Chase said cut in. "What sort of experiments where they that the Commandant was arrested?"

Alpha fidgeted and lowered his voice, looking around nervously. "Well, I wasn't supposed to hear anything, and they don't know that I know, so don't tell anyone," he said so nervously that even Chase felt a sense of foreboding. "But apparently they were experimenting with Monsuno essence on humans –"

"What!?"

"Shhh!" Alpha hissed. "Keep your voice down! I –"

They both froze as loud, raucous laughter came from down the hall and suddenly Core-Tech burst in, chattering loudly and happily, unaware of the two sitting frozen on the seat. Alpha gave Chase a quick look and muttering "I'll tell you later" before leaving the room, leaving Chase with a deep sense of suspense and apprehension, not to mention an odd loneliness.

"Chase!" Jinja cried, flopping down on the couch beside him with an easy grin, her dress crinkling as she did so, with Bren throwing himself into an arm chair and Dax and Beyal taking the last sofa. "I wish you could have come, you would have loved it!"

Chase blinked at her. "I thought you said I wouldn't like it –" he was cut off and she continued, seemingly not hearing him.

"It was hilarious! Oh man, Trey tried acting all formal in front of this one old guy and tripped over his own feet –"

"And spilled wine down his short," Bren snickered, and Dax burst into roaring laughter and Beyal laughed in a more restrained way.

"That sounds great, really, but –"

"And there was this one guy –"

"No wait tell him about the –"

"Remember when Bravo –"

"Guys, please!" Chase burst out, standing up, and his team fell silent, staring up at him in slight shock. "I – I'm tired, I have a lot to think about and – and I'm just going to bed." He snatched the couch cushion from the sofa, hurriedly making his way to his room, mind whirring with experiments, betrayal, sickness and the vague sense of vertigo as his friend's eyes staring into his back.

When he closed the door, the chatter slowly started up again, back into its happy swing, but by then Chase had collapsed onto his bed and fallen into uneasy sleep.


	2. Something Dreadful This Way Comes

**The Meaning of Blue**

* * *

 _I'm going to post the second chapter now so I don't forget to, but this is mostly a filler chapter~ Enjoy~_

* * *

When Chase awoke the next morning, it was to the feeling that he really didn't want to be awake. A sense of dread hung in the pit of his gut, and something told him that today wasn't going to be a good day. He heaved a heavy sigh and rolled over so instead of facing the blank wall, he was facing the blank wall furthest from his bed. He stared and the plain white stared back. His staring contest with the wall lasted until he realized walls couldn't stare, and that he had to get up soon to report to the conference room to be handed a mission.

Joy.

Chase pulled the covered over his head and heaved a deep sigh, hoping that he'd hear a voice over the speaker than would tell them that Monday was cancelled and –

He blinked.

Monday _was_ cancelled, at least as far as he remembered, due to the fact everyone who had attended the gathering would be too damn exhausted and hung over to complete work – including the Commandant, Chase thought with mild resentment.

And they said _he_ was reckless.

Now he knew that Monday was indeed cancelled, he could lie in bed and do nothing – except now that he knew he didn't have to do anything, he wanted to get up and do something.

 _Dammit_.

He heaved himself upwards, his basic looking blanket slipping from him as he sat upright, the vibrant purple pillow he had stolen from the couch last night held loosely against him as he raised his bleary eyes to the singular window in the room. The sun was streaming through it, although Chase couldn't feel it as the glass was made to block the outside temperature. A few white puffy clouds lazed passed the panel, a stark contrast against the bright blue of the outside world.

Chase's cold feet hit the floor beneath him – wooden, not metal, as thankfully STORM had decided not to put them through the torture of having to see and feel metal everywhere they went. He pushed a few buttons next to his door – metal and automatic with lock functions, which was a blessing and a curse, especially the one time he had almost forgotten his lock code.  
The common room was empty yet again, but unlike last night – or was it early this morning? – his friends rooms were occupied. Bren's door was closed, but the rest were open, and he could see their slumbering forms in their beds, chests rising and falling peacefully. Chase's lips quirked up in a small smile before moving to the common room exit, planning on having an early breakfast for once.

The mess hall was almost empty, save for a few early risers – Samantha, Rose's medic-in-training, was having an animated conversation with Garret, a rather old and gruff soldier who could be blunt, but was friendly enough, while a few seats down, an elite he vaguely recognised was idly stirring her coffee with a bored expression on her face. To the far right of the hall was Daire and Vinni, who weren't soldiers but worked as apprentices in the kitchens and mechanics respectively, and a few tables down from them was none other than –

"Morning, X-Ray!" Chase said casually, sliding into the seat across from the smaller teen, a tea in one hand and a piece of toast in the other. X-Ray jumped and looked up at him with wide eyes, almost dropping his book.  
"Chase? What are you doing up?" he inquired, looking puzzled. "I've never seen you up until the Commandant comes out."

Chase shrugged idly, taking a small bite from his jam covered toast. "I…couldn't sleep," was all he said. "Are you usually up this early?"

"Yeah," X-Ray gave an embarrassed smile. "I'm so used to getting up this early that I can't sleep in. Besides, it's…nice, it being this quiet," he said after a moment's thought before hurriedly adding, "Though I'm glad to have company! It gets really lonely, sitting here for an hour with no one around."  
"I'll bet," Chase frowned. "Who usually comes out first?"

"Tango usually," X-Ray shrugged, turning back to his book. "Though sometimes Alpha comes out before her."

Chase nodded absently, and the table dissolved into silence. X-Ray was engrossed in his book, while Chase nibbled at his toast, peering around the room now and again, marvelling at the calm and quiet. He was never usually up this early, and when he did come out the Hall was a cacophony of sound that made his ears hurt; now all that could be heard was the thrum of soft conversation.

Silently making a vow to get up early more often, Chase's eyes wandered to the window, where a flock birds were soaring in the blue, a scattered formation of wingbeats that soared effortlessly through the sky. Earlier dread forgotten, he allowed the smallest of wistful sighs to escape him Sights like this made him miss flying on Evo, not for a panicked get away, but for fun. He remembered the first time he had flown on a monsuno, clutching onto Bren as they both crowed in exhilaration at the wind whipping through their hair and the ground flashing before them in a sea of greens and grey's, Quickforce screeching his freedom to the late evening air. It hadn't just felt like a dream – the sky had the familiar feeling of home.

Chase was so lost in the sky that he hadn't heard the newcomer to the table, nor the quiet conversation that followed their arrival; in fact, he would have missed his name being called if a hand hadn't waved in front of his face. Teal eyes blinked rapidly as his visions of cloud disappeared and reality made its sudden appearance, and Chase turned his head to face the table's new addition, still a bit out of it.

"Hm? Wha?" he said eloquently.

"Good morning to you too, Suno~" Alpha said dryly. "Finally come back to Earth?"

"Chase," Chase corrected, and Alpha looked confused. "My name is Chase, not Suno. Well, technically Suno is my name, but I prefer Chase." He explained, and X-Ray snickered.

"Uh…sure," Alpha nodded slowly, taking a swig of his coffee instead. "So…what are you doing up this early? I didn't think you knew what seven o'clock was."

"Couldn't sleep," Chase mumbled, sipping at his cooling tea. "So I decided it was time to meet seven o'clock personally and see if it was worth it."  
"And was it worth it?" X-Ray peeked over his book.

"Definitely." Chase confirmed, hiding a small smile behind his mug as conversation continued from there. This was something he could get used to.

–

Had this place always been so _loud_? Chase winced and ducked his head as the table next to him burst into ear shattering laughter, the sounds of hands slamming on tables sounding like cracks of thunder to his ears.  
Of course, he thought this every morning, but it was either is was getting worse or he was finally noticing just how bad the noise was. Beside him, Alpha was having a loud debate with Bravo, although about what he couldn't make out, and in front of him Bren and Beyal were having an amiable conversation, if a bit confusing judging by their expressions. Jinja and X-Ray were arguing over his book, which was being manhandled roughly as both sought out evidence for some conspiracy theory from the books pages while Tango, Kilo and Dax watched in interest, quietly placing bets on the outcome.

Normally he would have joined in on the conversations around him, but he honestly couldn't find anything to add. What was there to add? He wasn't sure. All he could do was sip his third tea and awkwardly nod as someone asked his opinion.

"So, who do you think's right?" Dax asked under his breath, leaning over to Chase and motioning to Jinja and X-Ray. Chase shrugged.

"I dunno," he said uncomfortably. "I haven't been paying attention. They're…both good, I suppose?"

Dax gave him a strange look as Jinja and X-Ray's argument reached a crescendo, X-Ray's squeaking voice reaching even squeakier pitches and Jinja throwing in some arm flailing to prove her point. It was when Chase missed being hit in the face by an arm by a mere hairs breadth that he decided he couldn't handle it anymore. He quietly slipped from the table and out of the Hall, unaware of two sets of eyes following him.

The quiet of the halls was soothing, and the only sounds he could hear was the chatter still coming from the Mess Hall and the quiet sounds of conversation from patrolling soldiers, some who gave Chase a polite nod or a friendly wave as he walked past. He gave them a small smile back, although he still found it strange that the soldiers were so friendly with him even though they had tried to kill him on several occasions not a few months back. Charlemagne had had a stronger effect on STORM than he had thought.

Wandering down the hall, Chase almost didn't hear the hushed whispers coming from the next hall until he had heard the word 'Suno' breathed in a hushed tone. He paused in surprise, listening closely to their conversation, but all he got were snippets that he understood nothing of.  
"Does he really believe that –" the voice got quiet and Chase strained to hear. "Why would he let a monster in here?"

Chase's heard skipped a beat.

"This always seems to happen," a deeper voice groaned. "Maybe –" Chase nearly fell over in his desperate attempt to hear what was being said. "But we'd be killed if we even tried it."

"By who – him or the boss?" came a dry reply before a few more hushed whispers, the voices fading away along with the footsteps of the whisperers. Chase stood still, his heart pounding and a sick feeling in his gut, wondering why he had left the Hall at all. The voices reverberated mockingly in his head, and he turned to leave when –

He yelped as he turned to see Alpha not a few steps away, a hand flying to his chest to calm his pounding heart. "You have to stop doing that!" Chase exclaimed n a high voice.

"Sorry," came the distracted reply. "The monk told me you'd left so I followed you and…here we are."

"Right…" Chase said. "Did…did you hear them too?" he said in a small voice, referring to the rather disturbing conversation he'd just heard. Alpha nodded.

"Though I couldn't understand a word they were saying," he muttered, although worry was alight in his eyes. "It didn't sound too good though."  
Chase nodded slowly, his earlier dread reappearing full force. "Something bad's gonna happen soon, isn't it?" he asked quietly, and got a slow nod in return.

"Yeah. Something really bad." Came an even quieter agreement.

Chase knew he shouldn't have gotten out of bed that morning.

Alpha had parted ways with him not too long after their rather ominous discussion, apparently having to talk to Trey about something, and Chase was left alone in the middle of the corridor once more. Mindful of the fact that he had heard his name in the conversation, he hurriedly made his way back the way he came, hoping to catch one of his friends before they left the Hall so he wouldn't be alone around strangers.

The conversation had unsettled him deeply, and he wasn't sure why. They had only mentioned, well, his name, and…someone letting a monster in STORM…and something about them being killed if they attempted something…

He swallowed harshly and sped up, pushing aside his thoughts as they swirled like sickness inside him. He would not think about what the monster was. He would not think about who the monster was. He would not consider for a moment that he was –

Chase pumped into someone and flinched away in shock, looking up in panic only to exhale deeply in relief when he looked up into the familiar face of Kilo, Tango tagging alongside him, both who were giving him concerned looks.  
"You alright there, Suno?" Kilo titled Chase's chin up to look him fully in the face, frowning. "You look mighty pale."

"You look rather sick," Tango added, pressing a cool hand against his forehead. "Are you feeling okay?"

"N-no – I mean yeah – I mean -" he took a deep breath. "Can I stay with you guys for a bit? I'm just – I –"

"No need to explain," Tango said briskly, hooking an arm into Chase's. "You need to sit down first of all, and we were just on the way to our rooms."

"You can stay with us as long as you need, lil man." Kilo said easily, walking on Chase's other side, although he exchanged a look over his head with Tango, both of them reflecting the worry they felt, and their protective flocking of Chase tightened, and the first thing they did once they'd reached their common room was seal the door and convince Chase to nap on the couch.

All they could do now was wait for Alpha to return.


	3. Nobody Was There

**The Meaning of Blue**

* * *

 _Chapter has finally been completed after like..a few months? Nice. Anyways, things begin to pick up soon!_

* * *

The lab was eerily silent, save for the constant dripping of water coming from a leaky pipe and the thrum of machines that were somehow running even though they had been abandoned for years; machines that should not have been running. Apart from the roaches and mice that had made their home in the abandoned lab, nobody was there.

Nobody crept quietly through the room, eyes flicking warily around the damp and darkened room, the only source of light being a singular dull flickering florescent light and the slight light from machinery buttons. Nobody crouched down beside the files strewn across the floor before peering at the filing cabinet.

The sound of grating rusty metal filled the room. The filing cabinet was ajar, the pages being hastily ruffled through, although anybody watching could tell that it was a fruitless attempt. Then again, there was no point in watching for there was nobody there to watch.

The filing cabinet slammed shut, the loud clang resounding around the room for nobody to hear.

Nobody left the room, unsatisfied.

* * *

"Has he woken up?" Alpha asked as he entered Strike Squad's common room, looking nervously over at Chase, who was slumbering on the couch. Tango shook her head.

"Not even twitched," she murmured, flicking her own dark eyes over to the couch. "What did Lieutenant Trey have to say?"

Alpha's face immediately darkened. "The same as usual," he said derisively. "'Don't worry, I'll get it under control, there's nothing to worry about! Everything's _fine_!'" he quoted the former Commander, and Tango sighed. "Just as useful as always."

"Everything is not _fine_ ," she threw herself down onto the nearest armchair, placing her head in her hands. "Everyone likes to pretend everything is fine, but they're just going to end up killing us," Tango looked up at Alpha, despairing. "Alpha, we need to leave, _soon_."

"He has to know first," the red head said quietly. "Chase is owed that much. I don't know _what_ he has to know, but those Elites this morning…he's going to end up dead because of _some_ stupid monsuno thing."

Tango was about to reply when there came a stirring from the couch. Both fell silent immediately, going still and waiting on baited breath as Chase slowly shifted in his sleep, mumbled something about pillows and teeth before falling back asleep. Alpha released the breath he didn't know he was holding.

"Do you think his team knows something?" Tango said in the quietest of voices, so much that Alpha had to strain to hear her. "You said something you heard that Jinja had tried to convince him not to go to the gathering, yes?"

The gathering had been a social event, and there had been many people there who had wanted to meet Chase, X-Ray had reported. Many seemed disappointed that he had not shown up, and Jon had merely said that Chase had been quite ill to ease their displeasure. As Alpha had seen, that was obviously not the case.

"Something like that," he admitted, leaning his elbows on his knees and resting his head in his hands as his amber eyes roamed Chase's face. His former nemesis looked so peaceful and innocent – the exact opposite of what parts of STORM were beginning to believe. "He seemed really hurt when she said he should have come and he mentioned how she said he wouldn't like it. She seems to know something."

"Dax seems uncertain of Chase's sudden isolation," she commented quietly. "But he owes Dr. Suno too much to say anything."

Alpha nodded absently. "The nerd and that monk…what are their names again?"

"Bren and Beyal?" Tango said dryly. "Yes, those two seem to not agree with whatever's being done here."

"They're the ones who told me Chase left," Alpha nodded slowly. "They seem worried. But…they know something too, something that no one else here does. They've been sticking to each other and whispering a lot lately. They know something big is coming."

"Yes, but what?" came the fearful response, and they both fell silent once more. What _was_ coming? What was it that was subtly breaking apart Core-Tech? What was it that was causing the monk and the nerd to whisper in the darkened corners and regard everything with a suspicion that they shouldn't know? What was it that was holding a fearful sway on the Lowlander and a powerful and secretive control of Jinja? And what deep part was suddenly reaching out in Chase's conscious that was causing him to question and remember?

"I don't know," came the quiet reply, both to Tango and the questions barraging him. The stirring across from them began again, followed by a yawn and a flutter of teal eyes.

Chase had woken up.

* * *

"Do you think he's okay?"

Beyal started at Bren's nervous whisper, turning his grey eyes onto the small nerd. For a moment he hesitated.

"I do not know," he admitted. "I would like to say yes, but…" he trailed off, and Bren understood.

"I hope Alpha got to him before anyone else could," Bren moved himself over until he was leaning against the monk's shoulder, both of them resting against the wall in the grey gloom. Both were currently in Bren's room, sitting quietly on the bed as anxiety churned through them. It had begun raining soon after Chase left, despite the blue skies merely minutes earlier, and Bren couldn't help but take the grey and stormy skies as a bad omen.

Maybe he _had_ been hanging around Beyal for too long.

"I am sure he did, Bren," Beyal said softly, shuffling over so they were both pressed firmly against each other, slipping comforting arms around Bren as he rested his chin atop the messy brown hair. "If Alpha could be described in a singular word, it would be urgent."

"Yeah," Bren chucked to himself. "I've never seen anyone get up and leave so quickly…"

They fell into silence again. It was not a silence of awkwardness, but of a nervous tension as they both danced around a subject they were unwilling to discuss. They had been planning it for a while now, ever since they had overheard some of Charlemagne's biggest supporter's hisses, along with the conversation between Jon and Jinja that left even their bones cold, not to mention that one game-changing document they had found…

"It'll be soon, won't it," Bren whispered, and Beyal took a deep breath.

"Very soon," was his hushed reply. A pause. "Perhaps…perhaps we should give Alpha those documents beforehand?"

Bren nodded tiredly. "Yeah…it'll be for the best…Alpha will know what to do with 'em."

After all, who else did they have to rely on?

* * *

Dax sat quietly on his bed, ignoring the strong patter of rain in favour of his own thoughts. When he first met Jeredy all those months ago, had thought that it would only be temporary – bury the fail safes, destroy the essence before it destroyed them, be compensated and then on his way again.

Then he'd met Core-Tech.

It had been so rough in the beginning, and he'd almost left in the dead of the night more times than he could count, but then he'd found his place. He found his place with the dramatic Chase who could make you laugh with only a few well-placed words, with the frantic Bren, who had a million and one ways to destroy you virtually but was more like a ruffled puppy in reality, with the peaceful Beyal who could put you at ease with just a glance and a smile, with the vivacious Jinja who out-spiced even the most well stocked of spice racks and had just as much kick too.

So swiftly and suddenly had they become family that he couldn't imagine a life without – but now he'd have to live with a life without. Would he?

Dax pushed the question aside, shaking his head. He owed Jeredy too much to back out now, but just the thought of – of what he'd been asked. How could he do it? How could he allow it?

He knew he was better than this; Chase had made him believe that much. But in the end, who was going to do the most damage if he failed them – Chase, or Jeredy?

He shivered at the thought. It wasn't something he wanted to find out.

* * *

When Chase woke up, it was to tense silence, which, he mused, wasn't the best way to wake up. He blearily peered around, uncertain of where he was for a moment, and his eyes caught a hint of red, a particular shade that could have only belong to one person.

"Alpha?" Chase questioned, raising a hand to push the hair from his face. "I – where'd Kilo go? How long have I been asleep?"

"An hour or so, give or take," Tango responded easily. "Kilo went with Bravo to go fetch some items."

"R-Right…" he responded, eyes wandering the room. It was easily duller than his own common room, although he supposed it was only natural. This room had been made up while Charlemagne was still in power, and he guessed she wasn't the type for colour or comfort. Everything was the barest minimum, as he remembered from the last few times being in here, although here and there were splashes of personality beginning to bleed from the rooms. Here a plant, there a misshapen clay _something,_ and a worn dinosaur plush sat on one of the dining chairs. He spied a painting that hadn't been there last time he was here, and was about to question it's appearance when someone cleared their throat.

"Uh, Chase…" Alpha began awkwardly. "We need to talk."

"Hm?" Chase turned to face Alpha, frowning, as the previous tension seemed to increase. He subconsciously reached for one of the couch pillows and hugged it, feeling as if he may need it in a few seconds. "What about?"

Alpha and Tango looked at each other. "Remember when we were speaking the other night?" he asked, and Chase nodded, finding it hard to forget. "Remember when – when I mentioned monsuno experiments on humans?"

"That's a bit hard to forget," Chase said dryly, wondering where this was going. "Why?"

Alpha opened his mouth to respond, and Chase was concerned with how tense Alpha looked. Before there was a response however, they were interrupted yet again by the metal doors sliding open with a hiss.

"We got everything!" Bravo said cheerfully, then faltered as he saw Chase sitting on the couch and a jumpy Tango and Alpha. "O-oh, we're doing it now? Is this a bad time?"

"This is a _very_ bad time, Bravo," Tango said edgily. Bravo raised his hands in apology as Kilo carried two rather large canvas bags and took them to the corner of the room, tucking them in a shady alcove that Chase hadn't noticed before.

"Well, can't do nothing about it now," Kilo said awkwardly, his Southern drawl prominent. "Let's just get this over with."

"Get what over with?" Chase looked between the four of them, hands clutching at the pillow. Bravo wouldn't meet his eye, Kilo fumbled with the bags in order not to look at him, Tango was looking at the floor, and Alpha was sitting there with his head in his hands. "And where's X-Ray?"

"Coming with the last of the stuff," Bravo said in a strained voice. Chase wondered what all this stuff was for; it almost looked like supplies, but what would they need all these supplies for? The teen had a sneaking suspicion, but said nothing yet. Alpha looked up at Chase, looking almost guilty, before turning to Tango.

"I don't think I can do it," he said desperately. "Besides, are we even sure we read it right - ?"

"We read it right," came a firm voice from the doorway. X-Ray stood there, looking grim, an empty manila folder in his hands. "But we can't prove it. It's gone."

The four other members of Strike Squad immediately froze before frustrated cries and disappointed hisses filled the room. X-Ray, however, only had eyes for Chase. Confused teal eyes met grim brown ones as the smallest of the group stalked towards him, kneeling down on the ground in front of him.

"You're not going to like hearing this," he said quietly. "But you have to know. You deserve to know," he cleared his throat, ignoring Alpha's and Tango's hushed discussion. "We were…we were snooping around the other day. Y'know, just walking around, finding things we'd never seen, that stuff…and we found this old lab," he steadied himself. "And…we decided to explore. It's pretty deep, and there's still parts we haven't seen, but…there were files in there, so many terrible, horrific files of past experiments and Chase…there was a file with your name on it," Chase's breath hitched and his eyes went wide as X-Ray went to continue. "I – the files are gone, but I know what I read…Chase –"

"Stop," Chase said suddenly, cringing back, not wanting to hear the inevitable. X-Ray continued, ignoring Chase, wanting to get this over with as fast as possible.

"You were one of the first successful monsuno-human experiments Chase," the smaller teen said quietly. "You're a hybrid."


	4. The Greater Good

**The Meaning of Blue**

* * *

It had been three days since the reveal.

Three very long days.

In that time, they had hardly seen hide nor hair of Chase, which wasn't as unusual lately due to Chase's slowly forced isolation by the higher ups. No, what was unusual about this was that it was voluntary isolation.

None of Core-Tech knew what had happened, though Dax had looked vaguely guilty and Jinja much too impassive. Beyal and Bren withdrew themselves even further from the group, except Chase, whom they tried speaking to on several occasions. Their attempts were fruitless.

Strike Squad was feeling the brunt of it. Core-Tech's questions about Chase were near impossible, even if they weren't being directly asked; how could they explain this huge and devastating news? They couldn't.

There wasn't much they could do, anyways. They were still preparing supplies, scouring through maps and flipping feverishly through files, copying every ounce of useful information they could fine; at the rate they were copying, however, they may have well just scanned the files.

A suggestion had been to bring Chase along with them – and the way things were going, it may have been safer for Chase overall – but the idea had been regretfully shot down. As Kilo had pointed out, the disappearance of Chase would cause a full scale global search for the teen and would ultimately give them away and leave them trapped in STORM. Tango had argued that since Chase was already so isolated, they would think that Chase was merely hiding out and avoiding them in base for a few days, which would give them time to escape. As X-Ray had regretfully reminded them, it would still warrant a global search once the teen had been discovered missing.

Alpha had been all for bringing Chase with them, and had been one of the biggest advocates for the idea. Eventually and resentfully, however, he had to concede that for now, Chase's disappearance would have a terrible impact on them and the mental state of everyone within STORM, especially the new Commandant.

Perhaps, if they found what they were looking for and everything had settled down, they could come back for Chase.

That was a big If, however.

* * *

"Chase?" an anxious voice said from the doorway. There was no response.

Dax stepped into the room, squinting as his eyes adjusted to the darkness. The curtains hadn't been opened since Chase had locked himself away as far as he knew, and everything smelt musty and unclean despite the fact that the room looked untouched. Chase sat on the chair behind his desk, which was barren of anything except a few broken pens a few scattered pieces of paper with messy scrawls and scribbles scattered over them. Dax took a step further into the room.

"Chase? Mate? You…you alright?" the Lowlander took a few hesitant steps towards Chase. "Do…you you wanna go grab something to eat? Or go for a walk?"

Silence was his only answer, and an aggravated sigh left Dax's lips as he knelt beside Chase, leaning to try and gauge Chase's expression.

"'C'mon bandito, at least give me something here!" he pleaded.

"Go away, Dax," came the hoarse response, and the Lowlander frowned. It wasn't the answer he wanted, but it was an answer nonetheless.

"Mate, I can't just leave, not when you're…like this," he trailed off and shook his head. "I – we're – _I'm_ worried about you. You've been shut in here for days, you haven't eaten anything, you've barely slept, you look – look – " he steadied his voice. "You look almost dead." Chase still wasn't looking at him, and Dax swallowed harshly. "Chase, please, _what happened_?"

"I – I can't talk about it!" Chase snapped, turning his body so he was facing as far away from Dax as the chair would allow. "I just can't alright?"

"W-What?" Dax blinked, confused. There was nothing Chase hadn't been able to talk to them about. Chase was always so open and honest, and the ominous feeling that had crept over him for the past few days seemed to strengthen. "Why not?"

" _Because you'd never look at me the same way every again!_ " Chase's chair flew back as he threw himself upwards, whirling on Dax while the lowlander fell back, fear clutching his gut. "I mean it's not as if you don't _already_ see me as some sort of _freak,"_ he spat. "I got _that_ memo ages ago. But this – this – " his hands gripped his hair in frustration before he turned around and kicked his chair.

"Chase, please calm – "

" _Don't you tell me to calm down_ – "

"Alright but please – "

"Just get the fuck _out_ already!" Chase's piercing cry was followed by a glower that could petrify Medusa herself, and Dax felt cold and shaken as he saw Chase move as if to hit him. For a moment, it was almost as if Chase's eyes had flashed almost luminescent, but looking back, it was probably a trick of terror.

A moment passed between the two, and Chase finally seemed to snap from his blinding rage and faded into a sort of quiet horror at the frozen fright that marred Dax's features, and he raised his hands shakily in reassurance, feeling sick when the lowlander flinched back.

"D-Dax – " he stammered. "I – I – I didn't mean – you – I didn't want – I'm sorry – this is exactly why –" his eyes filled with tears. "D - Dax? A – Are you okay - ?"

Dax never responded. Instead he gave Chase one last fleeting look before bolting from the room, leaving Chase to stand there as guilt wracked his frail form.

"What have I done?" he whispered.

* * *

"This isn't right," Trey growled, twitching uncomfortably from his seat next to Jon. The meeting room was near empty save for himself, the Commandant and Jeredy Suno, and the tension was thick enough that he swore he was choking on it; this feeling seemed to be exclusive to him, however, as Jon and Jeredy seemed to be discussing things quite calmly.

"It doesn't matter if it's the right thing to do," Jon's tone was firm as he looked up from his page. It seemed to be some form of document left from Charlemagne, although it was a rather recent one; it seemed as if Jon still hadn't found the file he was after of the boy. "What matters is what's necessary. Chase is unaware of what he is, and there could be catastrophic consequences if he found out."

"I don't think I see how that's possible," Trey argued. "If we explained it to the kid in a controlled environment, then – "

"There's no telling what he could do," Jon cut over him, and Trey noticed Jeredy's hand clenching on his pen. "Believe me, Lieutenant, if there was any other way then I'd be gladly doing it, but Chase is inherently destructive, even if he doesn't mean it. That's why we have Jinja keeping an eye on him. If he found out what he could do then we'd have a force of power that we couldn't possibly counter!"

"Haven't you even noticed that this is making him _worse_?" Trey slammed a hand down on the table as frustration gripped him. "He's _isolated_ and _alone_. He's a child, Jon!" The commandant raised an eyebrow at the lack of formal title used, but allowed it to slide. "We're snatching his freedom from him! He needs to expend energy and be around people, not forced to sit and idly watch his life go by and wonder what he did to deserve this – this – _abuse !_ " the Lieutenant was struggling for words, finding it strange that he was now defending Chase Suno's right to live when barely months ago he was trying to end it. _"_ And now we're discussing the best way to snatch his cores from him? He's not our _prisoner_!"

"Isolation seems to be the only way to control Chase," Jeredy's voice was quiet and tired, and he sounded almost defeated. "When he was living at home alone he became much more reserved. All he have to do is limit him and keep an eye on him as he reached maturity, and then keep a tight leash on him after that. He'll understand that it's for the best."

"It's _abuse_ ," Trey's voice was filled with disgust. "I never used to like that kid much, and we still don't see eye to eye, but he deserves better than this. Soon you'll be just like Charlemagne was with Strike Squad, just without the physical abuse." Jeredy flinched and Jon glowered, but Trey was undeterred. "Unless you're planning on pulling out a whip and shoving him in a concrete room barely big enough for a ten year old. Tell me, _Commandant_ ," he sneered. "When are you going to start _beating him into submission_."

" _That's enough_!" Jon roared, and Trey finally fell silent, matching the Commandant's glare with a fierce one of his own. " _Remember your place_ ," he continued in a lower but no less furious tone. "You were lucky I didn't fire you when I became Commandant – one more word about Chase and I'll throw you out myself. Clear?"

Trey mumbled a sullen reply, trying to swallow his pride and refrain from giving into the temptation to throttle Jon there and then. Jeredy's knuckles had gone white around his pen, his jaw clenched painfully, and the Lieutenant could have sworn the biologist was trembling.

"This decision was not made lightly," Jon said quietly, and Trey bit back the urge to snort in derision. "But it's for the greater good. We're taking Chase's core's tonight, and that's final."

* * *

 **Hello all! I apologize for how astoundingly late this chapter was – I kinda lost writing motivation and was torn between starting a Bren/Beyal fic or rewriting Festival, which is high on my to-do list! I also apologize for how short this chapter is, but that's because the next chapter should be much longer and has much more happening in it ;;  
**

 **Please review and tell me – what you think will happen, who your favourite Strike Squad member is, your favourite color and your favourite flavour of cake~! Thank you for being patient!**


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